Fig 7: Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam announcing the implementation of free secondary school and university education starting in January 1977.
(Source: National Library (NL)
For Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, independence meant more than political sovereignty. It meant improving the lives of ordinary people. He expanded access to education by making primary and secondary schooling free of charge. Literacy rates rose rapidly, producing a skilled workforce ready to support economic growth.
At the same time, he invested in healthcare. Hospitals and clinics were built across the island, and access to medical care improved dramatically. Anecdotes from his prime ministership reveal his priorities: when asked to approve a new road project, he delayed it until a village clinic was repaired. “The road can wait,” he said. “Sick children cannot.”
His human-centred vision remains one of the cornerstones of Mauritius’s success. By the time of his passing, Mauritius enjoyed one of the highest literacy rates and life expectancies in Africa.